Prefabricated expandable building construction



1964 H. GALAJIKIAN 3,160,248

PREFABRICATED EXPANDABLE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed May 29, 1961 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 8, 1964 H. GALAJIKIAN 3,160,243

PREFABRICATED EXPANDABLE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed May 29, 1961 3Sheets-Sheet 2 .HQ/G GAL nu/xcmu INVENTOR.

fir TOENE Y5.

Dec. 8, 1964 H. GALAJlKlAN 3,160,248

PREFABRICATED EXPANDABLE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed May 29, 1961 3SheetsSheet 3 Q Q Q United States Patent 3,160,248 PREFABRKCATEDEXEANDABLE BUHLDENG QQ'NSTRUCTEON Haig Galajikian, 4655 W. .l'efiersonBlvd,

Los Angeles, Calif.

Filed May 29, 196i, Ser. No. 113,207 3 Claims. (til. l8934) Thisinvention relates generally to prefabricated building constructionparticularly suitable for use in warm, moist climates infested withrodents, insects and the like, and which may be readily assembled,disassembled and modified in size as desired. More particularly, theinvention relates to a novel, light weight, sturdy wall panelconstruction which may be inexpensively prefabricated at a point distantfrom the ultimate location of use and readily transported to andassembled into a building construction at the desired building site toprovide a low cost economical building which is impervious to thepassage therethrough of rodents, insects and the like, and which allowsintegrally provided, wall insulation of superior nature preventing thepassage of heat therethrough.

In many areas of the world the presence of insects, such as termites andthe like, and an invironment of generally hot, moist weather presentserious problems in building construction. A building made according toconventional methods of wood siding and frame construction is extremelysusceptible to early deterioration due to the combined action of woodgnawing rodents and insects and wood rotting damp or moist weatherconditions. Such building construction is expensive to insulate properlyas well. I have devised a mode of building construction particularlywell suited for constructing buildings in such climes, as well as inmore favorable climes, which is inexpensive to employ and which allowsrapid assembly of a building at a construction site.

Generally stated, my invention comprises the provision of a panelconstruction frame which may be readily assembled out of extrudedaluminum parts at an assembly plant. The panels are adapted to bereadily assembled into wall constructions at the building site, havingalready received wall board facing panels, to make a complete wall. Thebuilding construction is also provided with means for readily expandingthe building by the addition of more panel frames and wall board facingpanels similar to those already assembled. The construction, being madeof extruded aluminum frame parts and hard wall board facing panels, isimpervious to termites and the like. All joints between panels may alsobe sealed by sealing means as described in the detailed description ofan exemplary construction contained herein. Furthermore.

an air space provided within the panels between the hard wall boardfacing panels may be filled with an insulation to provide good climatecontrol characteristics for the interior of the building so constructed.

More particularly, a panel construction frame, according to myinvention, is comprised of a pair of spaced vertical studs including atransverse web and outwardly extending spaced side flanges. The flangesare provided with lip having lip portions adapted to abut similar lipportions on an adjoining panel and to receive sealing means between thelips of such adjoining panels. A horizontally extending panel basemember and a top frame member, each of generally channel sectioninterconnect the vertical studs to provide a frame member. A pluralityof horizontal braces may be provided for added strength and rigidity ofthe frame member. Outwardly facing flanges of the frame members areprovided that have indirect keyways therein such that a mechanical bondmay be effected between such members and facing panels which are gluedthereto by epoxy type resins. Furthermore, the frame members are eachprovided with longi ice tudinally extending nail-grasping means ortensioning lips formed integrally in the extruded members. The variousframe members may therefore be readily assembled into a panel frame byforcing fastening means such as studs, nails or threaded screws throughpreformed holes in the frame members into the nail-grasping means on theassociated frame member being assembled thereto.

It is an object of my invention therefore to disclose and provide aprefabricated building construction which is inexpensive and easy toemploy and which provides building constructions that are generallyimpervious to creeping and crawling insects, such as termites and thelike.

It is another object of my invention to disclose and provide aprefabricated building construction which allows ready expansion of theconstruction when desired.

It is a further object of my invention to disclose and provide aprefabricated building wall panel construction member which may bereadily fabricated at a point distant from the point of use and quicklyassembled into a building construction by simple inexpensive means.

It is a still further object of my invention to disclose and providesimple effective assembly means including nailgrasping means integrallyformed in extruded aluminum panel frame members whereby a wall panel,according to my invention, may be easily and readily fabricated.

Further objects and various advantages of my invention will becomeapparent to one skilled in the art by a consideration of the followingdetailed description of an exemplary wall panel construction andassembly. Reference will be made therein to the appended sheets ofdrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wall panel frame constructionaccording to my invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse section of the panel frame construction of FIG. 1taken in a vertical plane through a mid-portion thereof with outerfacing panels assembled thereto;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse section of a vertical stud portion ofthe panel frame construction of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a transverse section showing an exemplary junction between twoadjoining wall panels, according to my invention; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a portion of an exemplary building constructionemploying Wall panel construction according to my invention.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, an exemplary embodiment ofthe wall panel frame construction, according to my invention, is shownwith outer facing panels assembled thereto in FIG. 2 only.

The wall panel construction comprises, in general, a panel frame,indicated generally by 10, in FIG. 1, and a pair of continuous facingpanels 60 and 60, as seen in FIG. 2, which are glued to the frame 10after its fabrication by epoxy type plastic resins. The panel frame 10includes, generally, a pair of opposed spaced vertical studs or framemembers 29 and 20 which are interconnected by a horizontally extendingpanel base member 30 and a horizontally extending panel ceiling or topframe member 46 (shown only in FIG. 2), all being of generally channelcross-section. A plurality of horizontal braces 50 may also be providedto give added strength and rigidity to the panel frame 10.

The panel frames 19 may be readily fabricated of aluminum extrusions andbe provided with facing panel boards at a fabricating plant. The spacesprovided between the inner and outer facing boards and 60 are preferablyfilled with a suitable insulating material, such as generally rigid batsof fiberglass or the like during the fabricating operations as well. Thecompleted panels may be then transported to the location of use. Sincethe panel frames are made of light weight aluminum, they are easilyhandled and readily transportable to thebuilding construction site.

Considering the panel frame in greater detail now, it may be seen inFIG. 1, and particularly FIG. 3, that vertical studs 2t and 20' are ofgenerally channel crosssection having a main transverse web 21 andoutwardly spaced side flanges 22 and 23, said side flanges providingvertical recesses within the vertical studs adapted to encloseelectrical wiring and accessories as desired. The panel frame members,including studs 20 and 20, are preferably made of extruded aluminum. Theside flanges 22 and 23 of the vertical stud members are provided with,end lips 24 and 25, respectively, which extend inwardly and outwardlytherefrom.

Indirect keyways 26 and 27 are also provided on the outer side surfacesof the flanges 22 and 23, respectively, of each vertical stud tofacilitate bonding the facing panel boards 60 and 60' to the panel framemember. Epoxy type resins are used to glue the panel boards to the framemember. The excess resin used will tend to move into the keyways soprovided to form mechanical locking bonds between the frame 10 andfacing panels 60 and 60' in addition to the normal adhesion effectedtherebetween I by the resin.

Horizontally extending panel base member 30 is provided with atransverse web portion 31 and side flanges 32 and 33. Web portion 31abuts the lower ends of the vertical studs and terminates at itslongitudinal ends in a plane even with that of the end lip portions ofthe vertical studs, as shown in FIG. 1. The side flanges 32 and 33 alsolie in the same planes as those of the respective flanges of thevertical studs to receive the facing panel boards thereon. Side flanges32 and 33 are also provided with lips 34 and 35, respectively, whichextend outwardly of the flanges to guidingly receive the ends of thefacing panel boards. Indirect keyways 36 and 37 are also provided whichaid in bonding the facing panel boards 60 and 6% thereto.

Top frame member or panel ceiling member 40 is provided with atransverse web portion 41, abutting at its ends in a plane even withthat of the end lips of the vertical studs, and side flanges 42 and 43.Side flanges 42 and 43 lie in the same planes as the flanges of thevertical studs and panel base member 30 to receive the facing panelboards thereon. Lips 44 and 45 are similarly provided, as on the panelbase member 30, to guidingly receive the facing panel boards. Facingpanel boards 60 and 60', as shown in FIG. 2, are held at top and bottomedges by the lips of the top frame member 40 and panel base member 30.The vertically extending lips carried by the vertical studs 20 and 20'guidingly receive the facing board therebetween along their verticalside edges. The facing boards are thereby surrounded about their edgesby the aluminum lips of the panel frame members and securely bonded tothe frame by mechanically keyed epoxy type resins. The side flanges 42and 43 are further provided with indirect keyways 46 and 47, as are thebase panel member flanges.

To facilitate the fabrication of the panel frame 10, the vertical framemembers 20 and 20 are provided with nailgrasping means or tensioning lipmeans, adapted to receive a nail or stud therein. As shown in FIG. 3,the vertical studs are provided with longitudinally extending,integrally formed nail-grasping channels 28 and 29 on the inner surfaceof the transverse web portion 21. The panel base member 30 and the panelceiling member 40 may be securely attached to the vertical studs bydriving sheet metal screws or the like through preformed positioningholes, therein, into the nail-grasping channels 28 and 29. The panelframe It} may thereby be readily fabricated without the use of diflicultand expensive metal welding steps.

A plurality of horizontally disposed braces 50 are preferably provided.Braces 50 include a transverse web 51 and end flanges 52 and 53, asshown in FIG. 2. End

' stud frame members.

flanges 52 and 53 present outer surfaces lying in similar planes asouter surfaces of the respective side flanges of the vertical studs,panel ceiling member and panel base member to receive a facing panelboard thereagainst. The outer surfaces of the flanges 52 and 53 arefurther provided with indirect keyways 54 and 55, respectively, tofacilitate a mechanical bond between the flanges and facing panel boardsas in the case of the other panel frame members. Nail-grasping channels56 and 57 are also provided to mount the braces between the studs 20 and29'. The braces 59 are assembled to the frame therefore, by merelydriving sheet metal screws, or the like, through pre-punched positioningholes in the vertical studs into the preformed grasping channels ortensioning lips 56 and 57.

After the panel boards have been glued to the panel frame with rigidbats of fiberglass insulation positioned therebetween, the fabricatedpanels may be transported to the building site for assembly into abuilding wall construction. At the building construction site, floorrunners 70 may be ram set or spiked to the floor, where a wall is to beassembled, by the use of threaded studs '71, as shown in FIG. 2. A panelis then set upon the runners 7%) with the panel base member 30straddling it. Each panel base member 30 is adapted to exert a springtension grasping action on the runner 70 such that lateral movement ofthe panel is impeded. The panel may be then bolted down by means ofconventional means, as the nut and bolt connector 72 shown in FIG. 4.Each panel is bolted at only the open, readily accessible end as successive panels are assembled to the building wall. Adjoining panels areinterlocked with each other upon the floor runner 70 by means of aceiling strip of inverted floor runner 75, shown in FIG. 2.

A building wall assembly, employing wall panel construction, accordingto my invention, is shown in FIG. 5. The outer wall assembly is startedand stopped at the same corner with a corner plate $0 of aluminum boltedto the wall panels at the corner. A vertical star member 81 may beprovided at the intersection of the inner walls of the corner. It may beseen therefore, that the building may be expanded very readily by merelyremoving the corner plate 39, and one wall of the building, and addingfurther wall panels until the enlarged building is provided. Inside wallpartitions may be provided, as shown, by providing an aluminum plate 82,with flanges 33 and 84, which is adapted to receive a panel 210. Panel21a is fabricated just as panel 10 except that the end lips 224 and 225are provided with generally fiat outwardly facing surfaces to abutagainst the plate 82;

As shown in FIG. 5, successive panels as it and 110 abut against oneanother at the lip portions of vertical A sealing means or verticalstrip of plastic may be driven or forced into the vertical joint formedby the abutting lip portions 24, 25 and 125, 124 between lips of thevertical studs 20' and 12d, respectively, to reduce metal to metalcontact between the adjoining panels and prevent the passage ofcondensation therethrough. The lips of the vertical studs may beprovided with outwardly facing vertical ribs, as shown, to receivevertically extending plastic strips 94) which are similarly ribbed toform an interlocking engagement therebetween.

It may be seen from the foregoing detailed description of an exemplaryembodiment of building panel construction that a very strong and sturdywall construction is provided by my invention which is virtuallyimpervious to the passage of insectsv and gnawing of termites or thelike. Furthermore, the provision of bats of insulation between the panelboards at the time of panel fabrication instills very good insulaitngcharacteristics in the panel before it reaches the building site.Therefore, when the panels are received at a building site, they need beonly assembled into vertical relationship over the floor runners andsecured in place as described. The ease with which ,n. It? the buildingwalls may be assembled greatly reduces labor costs and speeds theerection of a building markedly. It is therefore obvious that low costeconomical buildings may be erected in large numbers by relativelyunskilled laborers, easily and very rapidly, whenbnilding panels,according to my invention, are employed.

Having described an exemplary embodiment of a prefabricated, expandablebuilding construction and wall panel construction, according to myinvention, what I claim is new and desire to ro-test by Letters Patentis:

1. A hollow metallic frame prefabricated building panel having noexposed metallic portions so as to prevent sweating or condensationtherethrough, said panel comp-rising:

a pair of spaced metallic vertical studs, a horizontally and ahorizontally extending top frame member;

side flanges on said studs, base member and top frame members all lyingin the same plane to receive a nonrnetallic planar facing sheet thereon;

indirect keyway means in each of said flanges for receiving andmechanically bonding adhesive therein;

a non-metallic planar facing sheet overlying said flanges on said studs,base member and top frame members;

adhesive bonding means bonding said facing sheet to said flanges andkeyway means;

a lip at the outer edge of each of said flanges on said studs, each saidlip extending outwardly of said stud side flange to be abutted by anedge of said facing sheet; and

vertical strip means of insulating material to overlie each of said lipsand adjacent edges of said facing sheet.

2. The hollow metallic frame prefabricated building panel of claim 1wherein: 7

each of said lip on said'stud flanges is provided with a ribbed surfaceand w m'il extending panel base member supporting said studs said stripmeans is a vertically extending strip of plastic 7 material having aribbed configuration interlocked with ribs on the stud flange lip itoverlies. 3. A prefabricated building panel jo nt constructioncomprising:

a. pair of vertical metallic studs mounted on a common horizontallyextending panel base member; eachof said studs including a maintransverse web and a pair of side flanges extending generally at rightangles outwardly from and spaced by said web; a lip at the outer edge ofeach flange extending outwardly of the flange generally parallel to theplane of said Web and adapted to be abutted by an edge of a nonmetallicfacing sheet to be bonded to said flange, the lips of said pair of studsbeing spaced apart to provide a joint therebetween; a non-metaflicfacing sheet adhesively secured to each of said flanges and abuttingeach of said lips; and a vertical strip means of insulating materialwithin said joint and overlying said lips and adjacent edges of thefacing sheets, whereby a joint construction is provided with no exposedmetallic portions thus preventing sweating or condensation through saidjoint.

12/61 Rather et a1. 189-34 1/62 S'truben 189-44 RICHARD w. COOKEJR,Primary Examiner.

JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Examiner.

1. A HOLLOW METALLIC FRAME PREFABRICATED BUILDING PANEL HAVING NOEXPOSED METALLIC PORTIONS SO AS TO PREVENT SWEATING OR CONDENSATIONTHERETHROUGH, SAID PANEL COMPRISING: A PAIR OF SPACED METALLIC VERTICALSTUDS, A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING PANEL BASE MEMBER SUPPORTING SAID STUDSAND A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING TOP FRAME MEMBER; SIDE FLANGES ON SAIDSTUDS, BASE MEMBER AND TOP FRAME MEMBERS ALL LYING IN THE SAME PLANE TORECEIVE A NONMETALLIC PLANAR FACING SHEET THEREON; INDIRECT KEYWAY MEANSIN EACH OF SAID FLANGES FOR RECEIVING AND MECHANICALLY BONDING ADHESIVETHEREIN; A NON-METALLIC PLANAR FACING SHEET OVERLYING SAID FLANGES ONSAID STUDS, BASE MEMBER AND TOP FRAME MEMBERS; ADHESIVE BONDING MEANSBONDING SAID FACING SHEET TO SAID FLANGES AND KEYWAY MEANS; A LIP AT THEOUTER EDGE OF EACH OF SAID FLANGES ON SAID STUDS, EACH SAID LIPEXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID STUD SIDE FLANGE TO BE ABUTTED BY AN EDGE OFSAID FACING SHEET; AND VERTICAL STRIP MEANS OF INSULATING MATERIAL TOOVERLIE EACH OF SAID LIPS AND ADJACENT EDGES OF SAID FACING SHEET.